Capitol Reef National Park
Capitol Reef National Park was our next stop. It is in that southern swath of Utah that contains five national parks and six national monuments. Now, if a country as large and varied as the United States has a total of sixty three national parks and five of them are located in one half of one state … you know that area has to be a spectacular, geologically unique, awe-inspiring sort of place! I mean, it just has to be! Capitol Reef did not disappoint. It featured some unique geology that was clearly visible, it had interesting eurocentric and indigenous development and it was just plain beautiful to look around and enjoy the surrounding landscape. Capitol Reef is really known in the geology world as a great example of a “monocline" or, as it is frequently referred to, as “Water Pocket Fold”. Waterpocket Fold? But what does that mean, you ask??? 🤨 A really, really, long time ago, the west side ‘folded’ on top of itself (think making pastry or phyllo dough) creating a monocline